The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4th, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 11 April
STR | April 16, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Showing further COVID-19 impact, the Canadian hotel industry recorded steep year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 April 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 7-13 April 2019, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: -81.2% to 12.0% Average daily rate (ADR): -33.8% to CAD101.34 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -87.6% to CAD12.17 Among the provinces and territories, Quebec experienced the largest drop in occupancy (-90.5% to 6.2%), which resulted in the steepest decrease in RevPAR (-93.8% to CAD6.38). Ontario repo...
Put Some Fun Into Serious Business
Shep Hyken | April 16, 2020
By Shep Hyken The other day I was talking to my friend and fellow customer experience (CX) expert, Dan Gingiss. He shared how he’s seen businesses take something that is either really boring or very serious—or both—and make them entertaining. He gave a great example. In a legal agreement—like the agreements we accept online when we sign up for Spotify or Netflix—there is usually a lot of “fine print.” This is filled with disclaimers, indemnity clauses and more. Pretty boring information, but it’s important to share with customers. Most people skip over it; only a (very) small percentage of people take the time to read e...
5 Questions a Good Manager Should Ask Him/Herself While Managing a Team Remotely
Lucile Muller | April 16, 2020
By Lucile Muller As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, companies and universities around the world have suddenly been forced to adopt home office measures for their employees wherever possible. It is true that over the last decades, the digitalization of our economies has made virtual work environment possible but realistically-speaking, only a few companies have been actively promoting it among their employees. Indeed, for most companies the road toward digitalization was perceived as a long and difficult journey demanding time and preparation. Only the most pessimistic ones would have imagined such a brutal transition. Today, even the...
Hotel Operations in the COVID Era
Ajay Mehtani | April 16, 2020
By Ajay Mehtani and Dipti Mohan Social distancing has become a norm in today’s COVID-19 world and hotels need to re-evaluate and update their SOPs to adapt to this change. HVS has prepared this document to help hoteliers in the planning process regarding the formulation of SOPs on how to operate their hotels once the lockdown has been lifted. We strongly recommend that hotels always follow the guidelines provided by the Health Department and the state and central Government, including guidelines on maintaining records etc. based on local authority requirements, to formulate their SOPs. The first step is to make a Guest Booklet or C...
#FirstRespondersFirst and IHG® Hotels & Resorts Partner to House Frontline COVID-19 Teams Nationwide
IHG | April 16, 2020
#FirstRespondersFirst today announced IHG Hotels & Resorts as a nationwide hospitality partner, providing free accommodation at hotels across the United States for frontline COVID-19 first responders. While most of the nation’s residents are encouraged to shelter in place, first responders, ranging from physicians and nurses to home-care workers, social workers, and beyond, are in the field providing critical care during this global emergency, putting the needs of others above themselves and often their families. #FirstRespondersFirst helps provide essential protective equipment, accommodations, child care, food, mental health suppor...
sbe Starts Hiring of 1,000 New Team Members for C3 Amid COVID-19
C3 | April 16, 2020
Sam Nazarian to Commence Recruitment Immediately to Staff 138 Ghost Kitchens Opening by End of 2020 Nazarian will Prioritize Employees Furloughed at Other Restaurants and Properties Due to COVID-19 MIAMI, April 16, 2020 -- Sam Nazarian, Founder and CEO of sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning global brands, today announced that recruitment has begun for 1,000 newly-created positions across the country for sbe's C3 (Creating Culinary Communities) subsidiary. As part of the opening of [food halls] and 138 ghost kitchens before the end of the year, C3 is hiring across the entire organi...
IDeaS Provides Ongoing Client Support and Hotel Industry Guidance During COVID-19 Crisis With New Podcast and Webinar Series
IDeaS | April 16, 2020
IDeaS produces new podcast season and webinar series in effort to provide insights and unite the global hospitality community during these challenging times Tweet This: @IDeaS_RevOpt launches a podcast that takes an intimate look at how hotels are managing and coping with the COVID-19 outbreak as well as a webinar series helping clients manage their IDeaS solutions in response to business impacts. www.ideas.com/news #rev MINNEAPOLIS—April 16, 2020—IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the world’s leading provider of revenue management software and services, launched today a special Unconstrained Conversations podcast season taking an intimate ...
Thermal Imaging and Its Potential Effect on The Travel and Hospitality Sector
Alan E. Young | April 16, 2020
By Alan Young These days, you can’t help but notice that virtually every COVID-19 news clip has repeatedly depicted a person being screened for fever using some device that looks like it is from Star Trek. The use of the non-contact handheld infra-red thermometer has become, somewhat disturbingly, commonplace. So does this mean our ‘new normal’ will include the frequent practice of our temperatures being monitored via these portable infrared devices wherever we go? Or scarier yet - will it become necessary to scan entire crowds through the use of thermal imaging? Right now, of course, this is only speculation, but signs are pointi...
U.S. Travel Association Announces Cancellation of IPW 2020
The U.S. Travel Association | April 16, 2020
WASHINGTON (April 16, 2020)—U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement: "Following a thorough decision-making process in which we explored every viable option to proceed this year, we are saddened to announce that IPW 2020 is cancelled. "The circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic—including global travel restrictions, flight reductions, mandated social distancing, and stay-at-home orders both in the U.S. and abroad—have made this year's event impossible to execute. "We will be providing updates to IPW delegates next week on the process for credits and refunds for the investment...
Hospitality Industry Organization, Golden Rule Charity, Launches Multimillion-Dollar Fundraising Initiative to Help Those Affected by COVID-19 Busines
Golden Rule Charity | April 16, 2020
National organization mobilizes to deliver timely resources for those facing unexpected and unprecedented hardship SAN DIEGO, April 16, 2020 -- Golden Rule Charity, a national organization uniquely focused on delivering resources to qualified hospitality companies and employees in times of need, is launching a bold new fundraising effort to respond to the extraordinary challenges of those impacted by COVID-19. All donations will support the nonprofit's grant program, which awards applicants who currently work full or part time and have been employed in the industry a minimum of 6 months and meet additional criteria. "Members of our har...
The Impact of COVID-19 on Hotel Values
Anne R. Lloyd-Jones | April 15, 2020
By Anne R. Lloyd-Jones, Suzanne R. Mellen, Tanya J. Pierson The COVID-19 pandemic and the related restrictions on travel, business activity, and individual movement are having an unprecedented impact on our industry and economy. Hotel owners, operators, lenders, and investors are all facing greater challenges than ever anticipated, as they grapple with plummeting occupancy, average rate (ADR), and RevPAR and seek solutions to mitigate the impact on EBITDA. Owners and operators are dealing with the current crisis day-to-day, making hard decisions regarding staffing, continuing or suspending operations, and having difficult conversations w...
Ten Step Rx for the Hotel Pandemic
Larry Mogelonsky | April 15, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) COVID-19 dominates the airwaves, newspapers, internet and our lives. It’s time for us to start strategizing and planning for reopening, even though the timetable is uncertain at this point. The reality is that it is not business as usual and it may not be for the next few years. There will be challenges ahead. For this, it is almost equivalent of a completely new hotel launch insofar as growing product awareness and staffing. Best to under promise and over deliver. I’ve put together this basic rubric for your approach. The task is daunting and naturally will vary based upon t...
Knowland Extends Platform With Premium Contact Data to Help Hoteliers Prepare and Reignite Sales Teams for Recovery
Knowland | April 15, 2020
Leader in hotel group insights & analytics adds key intelligence to help its customers build relationships that will drive revenue rebound post-COVID-19 WASHINGTON, DC. — April 15, 2020 — Knowland announced today the release of Premium Contact Data (PCD), an add-on to its subscription-based hotel group sales software platform providing verified contact data with event booking history. As the leader in hospitality group business analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, the company provides comprehensive group data intelligence to drive higher revenue and provide greater val...
Blue Diamond Resorts Names Jürgen Stütz as Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Distribution
Blue Diamond Resorts | April 15, 2020
Tallahassee, Fla. – April 15, 2020 – Blue Diamond Resorts, the Caribbean’s fastest-growing resort management group, welcomes Jürgen Stütz as Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Distribution. With more than 29 years of focus in the luxury hospitality industry, combined with a robust sales and marketing background, Stütz is positioned to generate maximum revenue for Blue Diamond Resorts by growing digital sales, implementing distribution from Latin America and streamlining all sales, revenue and marketing efforts across Blue Diamond’s vast portfolio. “Jürgen’s consistent and effective leadership demonstrates his abi...
Maestro PMS Recognizes Hoteliers That Stand Up to CV-19. Community Donations Cover Over 1000 Room Nights for Health Care Heroes
Maestro PMS | April 15, 2020
Hotel Companies Ready to Help; Provide Rooms for Front-Line Medical Staff and First Responders April 15, 2020 – These are unprecedented times for our industry. Operators are facing business challenges beyond their control. Nevertheless, many operators and hotel companies are putting the true meaning of ‘hospitality’ into action. Hundreds of operators with dozens of brands are making their properties and facilities available for use by medical personnel and first responders. Maestro’s team is proud to be associated with many of these hoteliers who are giving back to their communities by opening their doors during this difficult time...
commingle:engage Offers Free Direct Messaging Services to Capture Future Hotel Bookings
Lodging Interactive | April 15, 2020
PARSIPPANY, NJ - April 15, 2020 - commingle:engage, by Lodging Interactive, the hospitality industry's premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services is helping hotels maximize their direct-to-consumer relationships through its RFPAssist Conversational Marketing Service. In efforts to further support the hospitality industry, the service is being offered at no charge to hotels through the end of 2020. “With Dr. Fauci stating that parts of the country may soon start to open up, it’s never too early for properties to start planning for the industry’s recovery,” stated...
Torrance Marriott Hotel Installs Clear Sky’s Food Inventory Management System for Increased Control
Clear Sky Software | April 15, 2020
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – April 15, 2020 – Clear Sky Software, Inc. ® announced today that The Torrance Marriott Redondo Beach, in Torrance, California, has installed Clear Sky’s food inventory management system, called Clear Sky FOOD, for increased and better control over the hotel’s food product inventory. This Torrance hotel has been a customer of Clear Sky Software for many years utilizing the company’s beverage inventory control system called Clear Sky BEVERAGE. Desiring one inventory system for both food AND beverage products, Torrance looked no further than the successful relationship already in place with Clear Sky Softwa...
STR: Colombia’s Daily Hotel Occupancy Sinks to 3.9%
STR | April 14, 2020
BOGOTÁ—As the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia has worsened, the country’s daily hotel occupancy decreased to as low as 3.9% on 29 March, according to preliminary data from STR. “Daily occupancy in the country was as high as 77.8% on 19 February, but a sharp downward trend began as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases grew and the government declared a state of emergency on 17 March,” said Patricia Boo, STR’s area director for Latin America. “The numbers are truly astonishing as STR’s most recent data for the country showed that just four of 100 rooms on average were occupied.” At the market-level, significant downwa...
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Rolls Out Support Package for Front Line Workers
Best Western Hotels & Resorts | April 14, 2020
Phoenix, Arizona (April 14, 2020) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) has launched a support package designed to offer a helping hand to front line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The package includes a discounted rate at participating BWHR-branded hotels, a custom loyalty offering for essential workers and expanded donation offerings supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. “Each and every day we see essential workers, from healthcare providers and first responders to transportation workers and infrastructure professionals, putting their own health at risk to lead the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said David Kong, Pr...
Hyatt Launches Hyatt Care Fund to Provide Financial Relief to Global Colleagues
April 14, 2020
CHICAGO (April 14, 2020) - The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the hospitality industry around the world, leading to temporary leaves or significantly reduced work schedules for many members of the global Hyatt family. In a focused effort to help the colleagues who are most financially impacted by COVID-19, Hyatt has today announced the launch of the Hyatt Care Fund. The Hyatt Care Fund is a program designed to support colleagues with the most pressing financial needs due to COVID-19, through a series of coordinated efforts around the world. Impacted Hyatt colleagues in owned, managed and franchised hotels and in Hyatt’s corporate offices...
Marriott International Announces New $1.5 Billion 364-Day Revolving Credit Facility Commitment and Leverage Covenant Waiver for Existing Revolving Cre
Marriott International, Inc. | April 14, 2020
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) today provided the following business update amidst the rapidly evolving Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) situation. New $1.5 Billion 364-Day Revolving Credit Facility Commitment and Leverage Covenant Waiver for Existing Revolving Credit Facility On April 13, 2020, Marriott International, Inc. (“Marriott” or “the company”) entered into a commitment letter (the “Commitment Letter”) providing for a 364-day senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion (the “364-Day Credit Facility”). The Commitment Letter provides that the available aggreg...
IHG® Taskforce Responds to Government Relief Efforts Across Europe
IHG | April 14, 2020
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, is offering support through its taskforce to the Government, local authorities, municipalities and health care institutions in their efforts to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. This can cover a variety of scenarios, including hosting key government workers, medical staff and other groups in need for emergency accommodation. IHG has seen a rise in requests from government bodies and public institutions during this difficult time for communities across Europe. Through its dedicated taskforce IHG is responding to these requests, learning from relief ...
Coronavirus: Hotel Real Estate in a Turbulent Macro-Economic Environment
Jochen de Peuter | April 14, 2020
By Jochen de Peuter Would you invest your money and time in a hotel project? Once more, the world is hit by a crisis, a pandemic this time, which affects all world economies. Many industries are suffering in particular the hotel industry. What is the problem of hotels and hotel real estate in times of Covid19 virus? Hotels are a capital-intensive business and require a lot of capital to build, buy, maintain, operate or renovate. In particular, a luxury hotel project on a favourable location, such as big city centres or top tourist destinations, require a big wallet. Secondly, any new hotel project or hotel renovation consume a lot of ti...
How Do You Really Know If You’re Doing a Good Job?
Shep Hyken | April 14, 2020
By Shep Hyken I could have titled this article “Box of Donuts Research,” but you would have no idea what that means. I’ll explain in a moment. There are plenty of ways to get feedback. You can survey customers over the phone, via email, in focus groups and more. You can get objective and subjective feedback. You can use tools such as Net Promoter Score and Customer Effort Score. I could go on and on about the different ways to measure your customer’s feedback. My good friend and speech coach, Patricia Fripp—who happens to be the top speaking coach on the planet to professional speakers and executives—shared a great story abo...
